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Chicago -- the sparkling gem of the Midwest and the third largest city in the United States -- is a travel destination with a problem: the winter. When the wind whistles down Michigan Avenue in January, you might wonder why you ever decided to go to Chicago at that time of year. But even that season has its upside. Whenever you go to Chicago, you will find an array of attractions, restaurants and hotels.

Weather

More than many travel destinations, Chicago's weather factors in to when it's best to go. Winter is deeply cold and windy with ice and snow; it's warm and often humid from June through September; spring is pleasant but often rainy and is just a short interval between winter and summer. Fall, however, can accommodate most travel plans, with its mostly sunny days and mild daytime temperatures.

Budget

Hotel rates are highest in the summer because of all the many events that occur then and the lure of Lake Michigan, which laps at the shore of downtown Chicago. Chicago also is a draw for conventions all year long, and those can have an impact on hotel rates. If cost is a consideration, winter -- except during the holiday season -- offers the best opportunity to find deals on hotel rates.

Crowds

The summertime--with Cubs and White Sox baseball games, Millennium Park, Lake Michigan activities, boat tours of renowned Chicago architecture--is characterized by crowds. With the streets of the Loop and Magnificent Mile teeming with tourists, you may find it difficult to get a room reservation, and restaurants often have long waits. The Hancock or Sears towers, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium or Art Institute of Chicago may similarly greet you with long lines.

Winter is the least crowded time and offers the easiest access to restaurants, special exhibitions and heavily trafficked indoor attractions. Getting good seats at a production at one of Chicago's intimate theaters or one of the city's many live music venues is relatively easy to accomplish in the winter. If visual art is your interest, you will get a close-up, clear view of works rather than straining to see the art through throngs of summer museum visitors.

Attractions

Summer and fall in Chicago offer the lakefront; Loop and Magnificent Mile; along with a multitude of choices of architecture tours, including on the water; and easy exploration of the Oak Park of Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright. As well, Chicago baseball lasts until early fall, and visitors enjoy nice days in the parks, visits to the Lincoln Park Zoo and dining al fresco. Summer is also the season for festivals and outdoor concerts.

Fall is the start of Chicago's culture season, and winter is in the thick of it, with the Chicago Symphony, an abundance of live theater and special exhibitions at the Art Institute and other galleries.

Expert Insight

Frommer's advises that summer and fall are the times to visit Chicago. You will pay the most for your room, and in the summer it could be unbearably warm, and you will fight crowds everywhere. But those are the times when the banquet of interesting things to do in Chicago is at its most bountiful. Fall offers sunny weather and fewer crowds than summer, Frommer's says, but winter is not a bad option if culture is your focus and you don't mind slogging through the windy city's coldest winds.

References

About the Author

Suzanne Topham got her first newsroom job as an editor in the '70s. She spent most of her career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where she was a copy desk chief for the features and national/foreign desks and a travel and style reporter. She also pioneered the position of A1 editor at the Post-Dispatch. She earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri.

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